This invention relates to cookers, typical of which are solid fuel cookers, such as those used in the cooking of food with charcoal. A variety of charcoal type cookers are conventionally available, and serve the functions of containing the fuel and generating the heat used for the cooking process. Conventional cookers, when referred to herein, unless otherwise specified, refers to 56 cm. diameter cookers as produced by Weber-Stephen Products Company, Palatine, Illinois. These types of cookers have enjoyed substantial success and acceptance. They do, however, have a number of difficulties. One particular difficulty which is addressed in the invention herein is that typical cookers are relatively large, such as 56 centimeters in diameter, and equally as tall, or more. Some such cookers are provided with support means such as legs which, in addition to raising the cooker, raises its center of gravity and, thereby, reduces stability. Particularly with the larger cookers, their size makes them difficult to move. The larger cookers are typically provided with wheels with which they may be moved from place to place. While wheels facilitate movement, they tend to further reduce stability. Instability, of course, introduces a substantial hazard to accidental spills and associated burnings during use of the cooker. In any event, the cookers which are presently available tend to be somewhat less stable than is desirable, and are not readily disassembled and reconfigured into a smaller size assembly for storage or transport.
It is an object of this invention to provide novel cookers and cooker components which provide improved ease of use of the cooker, and greater adaptability of the cooker for storage and transport.
It is another object of the invention to provide cookers having a greater variety of sizes, and particularly smaller sizes which are functional for cooking smaller amounts of food--and which may be further reduced in size, such as by about 50% in volume, for storage or transport, all being improvements in convenience of use of the cookers.
Yet other objects are represented in making cookers which have desirable characteristics regarding stability, safety, and efficiency.